WEEKLY WORD: The sun still rose and God is still in Heaven

By the Rev. Jim Beranek, Trinity United Methodist Church, Charles City

On the eve of Election Day, several of our daughters were texting back and forth about the outcome of the presidential election. I did not enter into the texting conversation but just observed what they were sharing, and then I went to bed without knowing which way the tide was turning in the election process.

When I woke up the next morning and learned of the results, I was not surprised to see that the sun came up just like it does every day and that one of my daughters posted a text that said “Oh no!”

I quickly went into daddy/pastor mode and texted her back this message: “Take a deep breath. God is still in His heaven and Jesus Christ is Lord!”

She responded right back, “U are right dad.”

It has been interesting to watch the news and see the reactions to the results of the election. Those reactions range from great fear, despondency and intense anger to great joy, confidence and arrogance. It will be very interesting, to say the least, to watch how everything transpires over the next few months as this nation transitions from one administration to another. Those who are filled with great joy, and confidence and some arrogance right now will be let down — count on it. And those who are on the opposite end of the spectrum right now will find reason to celebrate in some political victories and come out of their doldrums.

Truth is, whenever we allow our identity to become so wrapped up and enmeshed in a political personality, a political party, a sports or entertainment figure, or even a prominent Christian leader, we are in danger of losing our identity and setting ourselves up for great disappointment. But, when we allow our identity to be wrapped up in Jesus Christ, we gain everything and actually become the kind of human being we were created to be — with the result that we can never be disappointed in Jesus.

As we read the New Testament we find the Apostle Paul in his letters to various churches consistently calling Christians to “put on Christ” or to “know Christ”; in other words to invest their lives in and identify their lives so closely with Jesus that [they/we] begin to take on the very character of Christ.

N.T. Wright, a prominent New Testament scholar writes, “One of the best ways of doing this (putting on Christ)… is to meditate on the Gospel narratives about Jesus, placing oneself in the position of one of the onlookers or participants in the story and allowing the presence of Jesus to be felt and known, and with that presence allowing his own struggles against evil, and his call to take up the cross and follow him, to have their full effect.”

During this Advent and Christmas season, we have a wonderful opportunity to “put on Christ” as we read the Gospel narratives and ponder the mystery and marvel of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us in Jesus Christ. Let us commit ourselves to invest our lives in worship during this blessed season and to hear and read the Gospel narratives about the birth of Christ as if for the first time and allow ourselves to be wrapped up in majesty and mystery of it all.

The Rev. Jim Beranek is pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City.

— 20161201 —